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Chapter Text

The first meeting (Nora)

Nora knew from the start that it would not be easy.
All of her life she had lived a safe and sheltered life under the protection of her family name, which was known all over the world. At some point she couldn't take it any longer. The lifestyle of her family, the boredom, always the same everyday life ...
She packed her things, said goodbye to her parents, and left Highwind to study at Atara University. She wanted to experience something new and tried to achieve something meaningful in the process.

She had imagined it to be so easy ...

Everything had been fine at the university, wild parties and appointments had made her everyday life exciting. She had many friends and therefore hardly had to think about her family.
Homesickness never came up ...
She had finally been accepted into the circle of the Church of Light through her boyfriend at the time, Brad. They often sat together in the evening outside the university and philosophized about the dangers that ancient relics brought with them. However, she did not tell them that her family used these relics for themselves and even got rich with creating generators which would be build into weapons. Instead, she learned to share the views of the members and soon wanted to take them further out into the world. At least she was able to combine her two most important goals.

And so she finally came to Portia to work as a missionary in the local Church of Light for two years. She had been really looking forward to it, as it finally meant an adventure. As a pacifist, she shied away from danger, so she left it at the tension of the unknown. The village was extremely peaceful, only a few people lived there. Life was much quieter, with the exception of a single restaurant there was no way to keep yourself busy in the evening.
The first time was terribly difficult. Nora, who was used to drawing all the attention to herself, could not find a connection. The young people her age were all already in permanent cliques or part of the Civil Corps that acted as a neutral mediator between the church and the research center. Everyone else had families of their own or was simply not interested in making new friends.
And so Nora got to know the feeling of loneliness for the first time in her life. It made her very unhappy. Her social contacts were limited to the Church minister, Lee, who became more of a father substitute than a friend. She spent the evenings alone, which was a completely new experience for her. Nobody invited her to dinner or to a walk, noone even thought of her birthday.

Only then did she realize what she had given up.

Her family had always celebrated a big party, now for the first time she celebrated all alone. That evening she couldn't take it anymore, she escaped the confines of her apartment, which she shared with Sonia, and ran until her legs couldn’t carry her any longer. As she looked around, she discovered that she had walked all the way to the clinic. Here was an old well, it was isolated and seemed to have been forgotten by everyone ...

Just like her.

Here she had let her tears run free, the situation had simply become unbearable. It occurred to her that she would just go back, cancel her mission, she wanted her old life back. Then she heard footsteps and was surprised, since she had thought that nobody would look for her here, let alone find her. When she looked up, the first thing she saw through the veil of tears was only red. Only after a voice spoke to her did she know who it was.

Arlo, leader of the Civil Corps.

He inquired about the cause of her tears, asked in his professional manner if anything had happened. She said no. Something about him, maybe it was her desperation, made her tell him everything. From her homesickness, the loneliness ... her worry that she would not be welcome in Portia. Arlo listened to her problems, waited for her to end. When he found out about her birthday, he immediately agreed to stay with her that evening, which she accepted with thanks. Even today she could remember the look in his eyes, because the serious man seemed incapable of smiling. With a shrug he apologized, saying he unfortunately didn't have anything with him that could be considered a birthday present. The only thing would be his sword, which Nora immediately refused. She explained to him her aversion to weapons of any kind, which in turn led to an extensive discussion about the usefulness of those. Finally, the leader offered her one of his adventure stories as a gift, tried also to convince her of the necessity of weapons. For the first time since arriving in Portia, Nora felt really happy. And so at the end she asked for a repetition, for a new story.

A tradition was born.

From then on she met the young man at the old well behind the clinic every Wednesday and Friday. That fountain ...

Their well.

Nora was happy, believed she had finally found her place in town. It no longer bothered her not to have a large share in the social life of the city. Their secret meetings at the well were enough for her. It was romantic, the secret she and Arlo shared. Nobody knew about it, not the minister and certainly not his colleagues. He had explained it to her, he didn't want these meetings to be misunderstood. After all, as a member of the Civil Corps, especially as their leader, he was unallowed to be biased. He did not want to be suspected of being on the side of the church, as this would lead to a strenuous investigation. Nora didn't care. She quickly realized that she was developing feelings for the man who could give her security and protection, whom she above all missed since leaving her family. Even though he never noticed her feelings and all they did was talking, Nora was happy.
But then she came and turned everything upside down again.

The new builder.

Chapter Text

The first meeting (Arlo)

The new builder would not last long.
That was the first thought that occurred to Arlo as soon as he'd met the young woman. Charlotta was young, beautiful, and optimistic.
Too optimistic, he thought.
She wandered through life with an ease that he hadn't seen in a long time. Full of enthusiasm, she accepted her first major order from him as soon as she had received the license for her workshop from the mayor. “LottasService” was located outside the city and initially consisted of nothing more than a small, shabby hut that her father had left her. However, it hadn't taken a week before the first self-made machines adorned the small garden and Lotta, as she wanted to be called, had made a small name for herself in the city.

That was the first time that she surprised him and turned his worldview upside down.

He still remembered the moment they first met. He had entered the Commerce Guild in his usual professional manner (kicking the door saves so much time, Pres!) to deliver Presley a major assignment from the mayor. The commissioner had just been explaining the rules of the guild to the 20-year-old and had assigned her the task directly. Arlo gave the young woman the professional look that came with his job. She was petite, of extremely slim stature, which immediately made him doubt. After all, to build a bridge you needed a certain strength, the wooden panels were heavy and the piles had to be anchored deep in the river bed. She wore her long blond hair loose, it curled over her shoulder and could easily get caught in the machines. She wore jeans and a comfortable t-shirt, an outfit that could barely protect against the dangers of crafting. She certainly had no protective clothing, not even wearing reinforced shoes. Added to this was her apparent inexperience, so he was pretty sure she was going to get hurt. She immediately awakened his innate protective instinct. What he noticed most were her eyes.
Eyes as blue as the sky on a bright sunny day.
Eyes that radiated such joy of life that he was sure they hadn't seen tragedy before. He remembered well that he wasn't the only one, she also looked at him appraisingly. She seemed to see something she didn't like, her eyes narrowed and she accepted the assignment with a determined voice.
With that she left him.
In the following days he did not get to see much of the new builder. He learned from Remington that she had inquired about the ruins and had received a quick briefing from him. She seemed to spend her days there, mining ore and collecting stones and sand. During a routine visit to the research center, he learned from Petra that she had already found some ancient relics and brought them to them. These included two lenses that Merlin used to make special glasses for color blind people. So Lotta brought their hairdresser back, just like that. No one had had the idea before to bring the well-known lenses to the researchers.

This was the second time she had surprised him.

It also quickly became apparent which side the young builder was on, because she brought all of the data disks she found to the research center. She paid no attention to the Church, even seemed to avoid it, which surprised him. But they didn't know each other well enough to question why. In general, Lotta seemed to be avoiding him and greeted him and his colleagues only fleetingly. This only changed after the “debt collectors” showed up. Huss and Tuss, the two idiots who were always looking for a new stupid idea to get a quick buck. She had first turned to the mayor instead of the civilian troops with this problem, then after a few detours had approached Sam, who promised her help. That help consisted of letting the leader know, who took on the matter himself. He felt obliged to do so. After all, Lotta was new to town and evidently did not feel part of it yet. He didn't want her to be like Nora, who was so desperate of loneliness that she almost left their town. So he tried very hard to leave a good impression, made it clear to the two bandits that the workshop was under his protection before he pursued them. He had wanted to give her a feeling of security, but he hadn't quite succeeded, as the brothers had escaped him. Still, she didn't seem to blame him for this and so the ice between them was broken. The weeks that followed were exciting and showed how much the first impression had deceived him.

She helped Dawa and Aadit repair the fence of the tree farm.
She won the fishing competition.
She convinced Sam in a training fight and was allowed to enter the dangerous wasteland from then on.

Then she surprised him a third time.

She built a new battery and installed it in the amber cave, solving the theft problem that the city's residents had been reporting for some time. She faced the Rat Prince and his henchmen, and emerged victorious from this battle. That was the moment when he found himself looking at her with completely different eyes for the first time. Her body might appear slender, but she had a strong will and a great desire to help others. Since then, he didn't just want to protect her, he wanted to test her and get to know her limits. With an excude, he got her to investigate a case of unknown noises with him, fighting together with her against a horde of jumping dancers who suddenly attacked them, and was thus able to convince himself of her fighting skills for the first time.
During this time they became friends, at least once a week he invited her to spend some time together. He wanted to discover more of her unknown sides, her numerous facets fascinated him every time anew. She kept finding ways to surprise him. Building, fighting, listening to villagers' problems even if she didn’t know them, there didn't seem to be a problem that she couldn't solve.
His interest in her grew steadily and at a rapid pace, soon he found himself looking for her on his patrols in order to exchange at least a few words and to be able to look into her deep blue eyes. He knew he was on the way to falling in love with her.
Then Nora confessed her feelings to him and turned everything upside down.

Chapter Text

Confession (Nora)

The builder was her rival.

Nora recognized this very early on. Since Lotta took over her father's workshop and moved to their town, she and the leader had become very close, meeting more and more often to eat or fight together. They now even had a daily appointment to go jogging. It also happened more and more often that Nora waited alone at the well. It was such an evening that she made up her mind.

She would confess her feelings to Arlo.

She spent the rest of the week worrying about it. She was unwilling to buy a heart knot because she didn't want anyone else to know about her confession. The chance of a rejection was obviously very high... She put the words together, carefully considered how she would react if he felt differently.
On the next Friday the time had finally come.

Nora sat on the edge of the fountain and watched Arlo eat a plate of spaghetti that Lotta had brought him a few minutes ago, listening to his praises. Finally the leader put the plate aside and smiled.

"Wow ... She really remembered … that was delicious."

When he saw her questioning look, he shrugged.

“I told her when we last met how much I miss spaghetti. Especially the spiciness ... there is nothing better. "

His eyes took on a dreamy expression and he laughed softly.

“She said I could cook my favorite dish myself. I had to confess to her that I am a horrible cook, and she felt sorry for me. "

Nora crossed her arms, her displeasure going unnoticed. She eyed him, trying to get him to focus on her again.

After all, this was their meeting ...

She put on her most beautiful smile.

“I'm sure you're a great cook. If you stay outside during your adventures, you end up having to take care of yourself. Right?"
"Yes ... but you can't compare a fish fried over a fire with such a great meal. Lotta is a natural talent ... there is nothing she cannot do. "

Nora rolled her eyes. The attempt had failed. She hastily tried another route, as her crush was already threatening to drift back into the "Lotta dreamland".

"Next time let me know, then I'll make you a portion, too."

She actually liked spaghetti with hot sauce very much herself, but she had never made it herself as she always ate in the restaurant. She hated cooking and housework, had servants all her life do it for her, and Brad when she was a student.
But she would make an exception for Arlo ...
Finally a thought occurred to her that would direct his interest back to her and his adventures, since the topic had nothing to do with Lotta.

"Hey, didn't you want to tell me about the battle in the Collapsed Wasteland?"
"... mh?"

The young man turned to her in surprise, only now seemed to really notice her again. A crooked grin appeared on his face.

"Oh, right ... sorry. That was an experience…"

He leaned next to her and crossed his arms. The fabric of his uniform jacket stretched over his tense muscles. Nora blushed and her breath caught, she quickly looked to the side so that he didn't notice. The darkness helped so he continued:

“At that time I was still completely new to the Civil Corps. When I came here, only Remington was there. He was just recovering from his knee injury. "

He leaned his head back and looked at the sky.

“When I saw Portia for the first time, I was quite disappointed. Everything seemed so peaceful, almost boring. I had imagined my work as an officer very differently, I wanted to experience adventure and prove my strength. I was on the verge of transferring. Then there was a big storm that brought some new types of monsters to the city. Jump dancers, bandirats, even Slow Gooeys were not at home here and suddenly spread everywhere. Remi couldn't fight properly because of his injury and so it was up to me to restore the city's security. Somehow I managed to drive them back into the Collapsed Wasteland. Everyone helped to build the fence that still surrounds the area today. They were so impressed with my performance that I was offered the position of leader. "

Nora looked back at him, admiration in her voice.

"... wow ... that was definitely a great experience ..."
"... well ... there were a lot of injuries until we finally got the situation under control ... and Remi gave everything, without him I would not have made it. It was then that I realized that even peace cannot be trusted. Everything can turn the opposite way too quickly and if you are unprepared ... we would have needed more people, then it probably would not have come to that. Like Lotta ... she's amazing. When we were at the Sewage Plant Ruins for the first time, she was so disgusted with the Chemical Dropout that she almost fought it on her own. I could only watch ... she's really strong. I wish she'd join the Civil Corpps. We could achieve so much with her in our ranks... "

Nora's jaw dropped.
Serious?!
Even on an adventure story long ago, he still found a way to bring the topic back to the young builder. Nora clenched her fist, it was enough. Before she knew it, her jealousy got the best of her and she spoke those words she had been thinking about all week.

"Arlo? I have to tell you something. "

When he didn't answer her, because he was most likely wandering around in "Lottaland" again, she became clearer.

“Hey, listen to me. It is important."
"... huh? Oh, sorry. So what's going on? Has something happened? "

Of course, as always, he was only thinking about his job. Nora sighed softly. There was no turning back, especially if she wanted even the slightest chance with him.

"No, it ... is something personal."

She took a deep breath, took his hand in hers. Arlo looked down at their hands, frowning in confusion. He probably had no idea what she was getting at. Nora smiled weakly.
Time to get serious ...

" … I do not know how to say it. I've wanted to tell you for so long, but ... I don't know. I just... "
"Nora..."

She looked up in surprise when he squeezed her hand.

“This seems serious. Remember you can tell me anything. I'll help you."

She smiled. Yes, that was the main reason she fell in love with him. He exuded a great sense of security that magically attracted her. So she took another deep breath, gathered up all her courage.

"... I ... I fell in love with you."
"... huh?"

Arlo froze. He actually had no idea how she felt about him. The brunette moved a little closer to him, clasped his hand in her second and snuggled against his arm. She didn't dare look up anymore.

"... I like to hang out with you and listen to your stories. I would love to hear much, much more and to spend more time with each other. Besides, you do me good, I feel comfortable and safe when you are with me. I ... I would be happy if you could reciprocate my feelings. "

She smiled weakly.

"I love you, Arlo."

The leader was completely frozen. It took a while, then he laughed.

"Ha, ha. You're kidding, aren't you? I almost fell for it. "

She froze before jumping to her feet. She glared at him angrily. Such a reaction was unexpected, he actually didn't take her seriously. Tears welled up in her eyes.

"Are you serious?! I pour out my heart and you laugh at me?! "

Arlo winced, her outburst having surprised him. She couldn't see it in the dark, but she knew he had turned pale. The leader immediately jumped up and hugged her.

“Sorry, Nora. I didn't know ... I had no idea. I really thought you were kidding. "

She sobbed, snuggled up against him. She shook her head slowly. Then he sighed.

"Nora ... I had no idea that you felt that way. This comes as a surprise ... "

He took a deep breath, put his hands on her shoulder and pushed her away a little so that he could look into her eyes.

"... I don't know what to make of it. I never thought about a possible relationship. I like you too, but I don't know if it's enough. I cannot give you an answer today, but I promise you that in the next few days I will think about it. I will have an answer for you when we meet again. OK?"

She swallowed hard, but nodded.
After all, this wasn't a no ...
She wiped away her tears, found her smile again. For the moment this had to be enough for her.

" … okay. Thanks."

He nodded too. A strange mood arose, both of them eyed each other with cautious eyes. Nora rubbed her arm uncomfortably. Eventually, Arlo decided to change the subject.

"... have I ever told you about my admission ritual with the Civil Corps?"

Chapter Text

Confession (Arlo)

Her confession was completely unexpected.
Arlo had never realized that she could see anything different in their meetings than he himself. He owed it to his instinct that he had been able to get out of the unsightly situation quite well, but he knew that this was limited in time.
Nora expected an answer.
So for the next few days he hardly occupied himself with anything else. He had never thought about a possible relationship before, for him there was only the Civil Corps and the "Flying Pigs". It was only since he'd known Lotta that his field of vision had widened. He realized that he was indeed missing something in his life. He just didn't know what that was.
Could he imagine a future with Nora?
Her confession had opened up a new path for him but whenever he thought about it, a different face appeared. But was there any hope in that regard? He had to be certain. So he made a momentous decision ...
"Hmm ... oh, hey there Lotta. Do you have a moment?"
The young builder had been busy making some talismans at her workbench, but now looked up. She wore her shoulder-length blonde locks that day in a loose-fitting bun and she wore a short skirt with a blue blouse. Her usual smile was on her face. He couldn't help but smile.
She was beautiful ...
"Hey. What's up, Arlo?"
He couldn't help but smile back.
It was just contagious ...
He leaned against the fence that encircled her small property, with a decidedly casual attitude. Briefly he thought about how he should get his concern across.
"It's ... something a little personal. I would like your opinion on the matter, but can you promise me you won't tell anyone else?"
The blonde frowned in surprise, which didn't surprise him. His concern came pretty suddenly after all. Then a glimmer entered her eyes, she put her tools aside and rose.
"I promise."
He was relieved, he had thought for a moment that she would refuse. But as it was, he pointed in the direction of the city.
"Thanks, how about we walk to Central Plaza first? Some scenery would help ease the mood."
She laughed softly, but nodded. Before she stepped through the garden gate, she leaned down to one of her chests to take something out. Arlo couldn't tell what it was as she immediately slipped the item into her pocket. He assumed it had something to do with her daily trading mission, so he didn't ask. Together, side by side, they walked towards the city.

When he got to the Central Plaza, Arlo pointed to a bench that was a little out of the way. They sat down. While he leaned forward and put his arms on his knees, Lotta turned to him. There was an expression on her face that he had never seen before.
She was so close to him ...
He felt the blush in his face, so he quickly turned his head back, pretending to make sure they were really alone. Finally, he came straight to the point.
"You see... a few days ago, Nora, that pretty gal missionary, laid out her feelings for me on a date. I haven't really given her a response yet... It's all a little sudden. I like telling her stories about my adventures, but I always saw her as a younger sister. I'd be lying if I say I'm not attracted to her at all. But I'm all about the Civil Corps right now... I'm hesitant. Should I accept Nora's feelings, it would be a big change for me. If I get into a relationship, I'll need to make sure I prioritize my time on her. What do you think? "
When he turned back to her he was surprised. The expression on her face disappeared, as did her smile. She turned pale, turned away from him. Immediately he was worried, he wanted to ask her what was wrong when she finally answered him. She cleared her throat as she spoke, her voice trembling.
“… Nora? Wow... that's... really surprising... "

She took a deep breath, clenched her fists. Arlo was confused, not understanding what had caused this sudden change. After a few seconds she gave him a weak smile.

"I think Nora's a nice person, you should consider it."
"... hu..."

That wasn't the answer he'd been hoping for. Still, it seemed to be her honest opinion as her smile proved. So he nodded slowly and looked up at the sky. He still couldn't quite imagine a future with the church sister, as they were quite different in their views and opinions. But if Lotta thought it was a good idea ... he nodded slowly.
"Yep, she's a really kind-hearted and thoughtful person. I think I'll wait until her mission's over, if she still likes me then, then I'll give it a shot. "
He looked back at Lotta, wanting her to give him her usual smile again.
He didn't like that dark look in her eyes ...

"Thanks, talking it out with you really helped. I'll go have a chat with her. "
Lotta nodded slowly. She got up quickly and pointed in the direction of her workshop.
"You should do that... I'm glad that I could help. I... should go back, busy day today. Good luck with Nora. "
Before he could say goodbye to her, she had already run back the way. He looked after her, puzzled. This conversation really hadn't gone as he'd hoped it would. He had thought that afterwards he would have a clear picture of how he would proceed, but in the end he was even more confused than before.

His friend had behaved so strangely...

Sighing, he leaned back and looked at the blue sky.
He couldn't get rid of the feeling that he had made a big mistake. Sighing, he got up, put his hands in his trouser pockets and made his way to the headquarters. On the way there he met Sam. His colleague smiled brightly at him.

"Hey. I saw you talking to Lotta. Is there ... anything new I need to know?"

Arlo smiled sheepishly, ran his hand through his red hair.
What should he answer to that? After all, he hadn't made a clear decision yet. He wanted to talk to Nora first and so he shook his head.

"No. I... just offered her another assignment. But she refused... she has a lot of work at the moment... "
"Oh really? Strange... I thought... "
The leader frowned in confusion. His subordinate behaved strangely... But then she hastily raised her hand in parting.

"Understood. Then maybe you should contact Higgins. He has had a lot of free time since Lotta's arrival. I'm off on my patrol. See you later."
" … okay, see you later."

He watched her go speechless. Everyone was acting strangely that day... He watched Sam and Teddy arrive at the Central Plaza and ride through the gate. But instead of the usual way, the young woman did not ride towards the river, instead turning to follow the path along the city wall.
This way she rode to the workshop. Arlo frowned, puzzled.
What did she want there?
It was really a strange day ...

Chapter Text

Rivals (Nora)

The next few days were strange. Nora felt like she was on cloud nine, floating through her everyday life. Everything looked so different, the sky was bluer, the sun was shining warmer, nothing seemed to be able to spoil her good mood. Even if Arlo hadn't directly reciprocated her feelings, he had told her that he would ponder her words.That was enough for her.

For now.

Because if there was absolutely no hope for her he would have told her that, she was sure of that. He was always open and honest, was no one to play others. That was one quality she most admired in him. He wasn't afraid to speak the truth and could take criticism.
Now there was only one problem left.

The young builder.

Her sudden, close friendship with the leader continued to worry Nora. Because even if Arlo had given her to understand that he thought a relationship with her was possible, she was sure that he would change his mind very quickly if he knew that there was a second possibility. She wasn't stupid, knew that the two of them had a lot more in common than her and Arlo. So she decided to be sure, saw only one possibility…
"Hi Lotta, would you like to check up on the local llama heard with me? Just to… make sure they are all right. "
Lotta seemed more than surprised, which did not surprise Nora. After all, they didn't know each other very well because the Builder still avoided the Church like plaque and also didn't seem interested in Nora in any other way.
That was exactly what worried her...
The blonde seemed to think about it for a moment, looking thoughtfully back and forth between her workstation and her visitor. Nora followed her gaze. On the small surface there was a copper frame on which Lotta was just attaching a rubber tire. She made a face immediately.
The Dee-Dee vehicles that the mayor had ordered from “LottaService” worried her even more than the possibility of losing her only friend and cruch to someone else. She still did not understand this decision, since Gale had always been an active member of the Church of Light which had the goal to destroy all relics. The minister was also more than just astonished about the new transport system; he had had a long conversation with the mayor and tried to convince him of the danger posed by the unknown companions. But Gale had reassured him and not let himself be dissuaded from his plan, after all, there were already long-distance buses that were based on a similar design. And so they would all have to get used to seeing the mini vans drive through their town in the near future.
Lotta seemed to read her gaze correctly, she crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. A mute challenge shimmered in her blue eyes. So Nora hastily added:

"I could really use the company of a friend. Someone to talk to. "
That too did not get the builders to answer. She looked silently at Nora, who was becoming more and more insecure. She began to doubt whether it was a good idea to speak to her rival.
After all, they weren't friends...

Finally she nodded, put her tools aside, and got up. Next to one of the small boxes, the younger one leaned down again and pulled out an iron sword that she strapped to her back. In addition, she hung her bag on, then turned to Nora.
Together they left the workshop property and set off. As they walked side by side, there was silence between them. Nora wondered what topic to bring up without revealing her real intentions. She felt uncomfortable, but it didn't seem to be just her. Next to her, Lotta had clenched her fists and was looking straight ahead. Nora was still surprised that she had complied with her request.
Or maybe she suspected the true motive of the Sister of the Church ...
After a few minutes they finally arrived at their destination. Near the east gate were several small herds of llama leaping peacefully through the tall grass and bushes. With their brightly colored, white speckled, soft fur and their trusting nature, they were one of the most peaceful monster species that lived in Portia's surroundings. The sun shone from the sky in warm rays that day, reflecting on the unquestionably sharp blade of Lotta's sword. Nora very much hoped that the builder wouldn't take the chance to kill some of the peaceful animals. Of course, she knew the blonde would need the materials, but she didn't want to be a witness to such a crime.
Surely there were other ways than slaughtering defenseless animals ...

She quickly drove out of her thoughts when her gaze fell on Lotta. The blonde was standing a little away from her and had crossed her arms. Raising an eyebrow, she eyed the Church sister with a suspicious look. Instinctively, Nora grew a little smaller. Lotta looked around demonstratively.

"They all seem to be in good health, I think?"
"Yeah, they do ..."

Realizing her cover had been blown, Nora sighed and decided to come clean.

"I only asked you here because I want to ask you for advice."

Yes ... Lotta had obviously expected that, she seemed not surprised.

"About what?"
Nora hesitated, not sure how exactly to bring her request forward. She didn't mean to bring herself across wrong, but she had to be clear enough to find out if Lotta had feelings for the leader. They weren't close enough, didn't spend time together, and so there was only this one chance. She gathered up all courage and decided to twist the truth a little.
After all, Lotta didn't know how it had really been...
"Arlo ... he told me he wanted to date me. And I like him, I really do, but I'm not sure I want to have a romantic relationship with him. I just can't imagine what a future together with him would be like. What if he goes off to join the Flying Pigs? I wouldn't want him to choose that over me, but I don't want to destroy his dream either. Lotta, what do you think I should do? "

To say that her question surprised Lotta seemed an understatement. Her blue eyes widened, she opened her mouth only to close it again immediately. Nora was watching her, not quite sure what to make of this behavior. Finally the younger woman turned around and looked at the happy flock. Unsure, Nora began to bite her fingernails. Maybe it had been a mistake after all, she had twisted the truth a bit to watch the real reaction of the blonde. Lotta clenched her fists before loosening them again, took a deep breath, then looked back. Nora was surprised because there was a smile on the other woman's face.

"Arlo is a great guy."

Nora blinked, for a moment not knowing how to react. Then she broke into a big smile.

"You are right. I shouldn't let worries of a possible future stop me from being happy right now. He is a fun guy to go on adventure with. "
Lotta frowned again, gave her an appraising look before slowly nodding. Finally she turned away.
"I'm glad, that I could help. I wish you both good luck. Take care, Nora. "

With that she walked down the path to the city and finally disappeared through the great gate. Nora stayed behind, not quite believing her luck. Apparently she was wrong and the two weren't as close as she had always thought. Her heart made a giant leap, on clouds she floated towards the city. Arriving at the Central Plaza, she could just watch Lotta walk towards the Collapsed Wasteland. So that's what she had brought her sword along for ... She was probably on her way to the Sewage Plant. Nora breathed a sigh of relief.
She could now concentrate fully on her upcoming new relationship. It wouldn't be long before Arlo would make a confession to her too, she was quite sure of that. After all, he was a very sensible man, so it made sense that he took his time with this decision and didn't want to rush anything. That's why she had thought that he would still test his chances with Lotta. This didn't seem to have happened, which made her feel pretty safe. Whistling happily, she made her way towards the church, not noticing Arlo following Lotta, calling her name. She turned to him but shook her head at his question, then turned around again and walked on.
The leader was left alone.

Chapter Text

Rivals (Arlo)

„Hey, Lotta. Long time not seen... I hope you're well. I've some time right now... you up for an adventure?“
„Ah... hey. Sorry, I'm really busy. Maybe next time...“
„Okay. Have a nice day.“

„Good morning, Lotta. Would you like to go on a run with me? I could use some extra training, it's more fun if you...“
„I really don't have time for that. Sorry. I'm meeting with Petra and Merlin today... I finally found enough Data-Disks so that they can help me with the Dee-dee-stop. I can't waste any time or else Higgins will beat me to it.“
„Alright... maybe tommorow?“
„ … yeah... maybe.“

„Hi Lotta. Sam told me you want to go to the Sewage Plant today. You need some help?“
„No, thanks. I need specific parts for my new commission.“
„Then I should really accompy you. I'll take care of the monsters while you search for the parts. Sounds like a plan?“
„I don't need any help but thanks anayway.“
„Oh... okay. Be careful.“
Arlo watched the young builder enter the commerce guild with a deep frown on his face. After two weeks of this hide and seek game he was finally sure... Lotta did her best to avoid him. She never stopped to talk with him like she used to do. Whenever he tried to spend some time with her she left with a new excuse. It annoyed him to no end.
He was determined to find out the reasons for Lotta's strange behaviour. After all it was his job to make sure the residents of the city felt safe and happy, especially if said resident was one of his friends. Turning towards the gate to wait for the blonde his steel blue eyes fell upon her workshop. It was still the same building but thanks to Lotta it didn't feel as lifeless as it used to be.
The kids used to call it their „Ghost House“ and that's exactly what it had been.
Ever since Lotta had moved in she had started to decorate the garden with flowers bought from Alice's shop. Her furnices, civil cutter and grinder worked nonstop. When he drew closer something caught his eye. Everything seemed to be the same and yet something was different. Leaning against her fence he inspected her belongings. Finally it dawned on him. „LottasShop“ read the sign above her door.
She had changed her workshop's name.
He was surprised. When had she done this? Why had no one told him?
When was the last time he had been here?
He was determined to get answers.
So he waited... and waited... and waited.
Finally, after two hours of fruitless waiting he left his post and turned back to the city. Lotta had probably picked up her daily commission and then gone straight to the sewage plant without returning home. So he wouldn't see her for quite some time. His mood was down, so much that he didn't even notice Nora's greeting. The brunette was surprised but had to focus back on the followers of the church.

Arlo followed the path to the bridge arches between the Roundtable and Martha's bakery. Patrouilling this part of their town was Sam's job, he found her leaning against the railing overseing Peach Plaza. The young blonde turned when she heard his footsteps, smiling.
„Oh... hi Boss. I report no special incidents. Did anything happen?“
He sighed and leaned against a pillar.
„No, everything is alright. I just have a question you might answer.“
„Oh?“
„I just came by Lotta's workshop and noticed she changed it's name. You know what's up with that?“
Sam sighed scratching her cap.
„Yeah... she had good reasons for that. Some idiots asked her what kind of „services“ she offered. Like... you get it?“
„ … hu?“
Arlo didn't get it. With all those machines right in her front yard it should be pretty obvious, right? The young officer watched him.
„ … you don't get it. Damn, you really are an idiot. You know that the street from the harbor to the city leads right past her workshop, right?“
When he nodded she continued in a subdued voice:
„A few tourists saw her sign and mistook it's meaning. They... offered her a lot of money for said „services“ and when she rejected them they became very insistent... until she showed them her bronze axe and her sword. Then they ran. When this happened again she took all her money and changed the name. What?“
During her explanation Arlo's expression had darkened. Honest as he was he made no secret of his anger.
„Why didn't you tell me about it?! Why didn't she come to me with this?! Harassment is a serious offense which I won't have...“
„She told me about it. I advised her to let us know if something like that happened again. She was pretty confident that a simple name change would solve her problem and up until now she is right. So I saw no reason to make it public except for the report I wrote and laid on your desk. Where it still should be, considering you don't seem to have read it.“
„ … oh.“
„Damn. What's wrong with you? I haven't seen you this angry since the fire incident two years ago. Of course it's a serious problem but we have it under control. Lotta is strong and independent. She can take care of herself.“
„I know... I know, okay? It's just...“
The leader sighed and turned towards the plaza. Life down there was busy as always. In the summer, the tourism industry was always at it's peak. Many people came by boat to visit their little city. Usually they were pretty normal...
If he was honest with himself he had to admit that his problem lay elsewhere.
„I'm just disappointed, I guess. I thought Lotta and I were friends... so why didn't she tell me? She knows it's my job to help with such problems...“
Sam simply shrugged.
„She probably had her reasons. Maybe she couldn't find you.“
Arlo shook his head.
„No. I'm trying to meet Lotta but she always seems to be very busy right now. At least that's what she is telling me when I can finally meet her. I get the feeling she is avoiding me. You're her friend, right? Do you know what's wrong with her?“
Immidiately his colleague's smile disappeared which pretty much confirmed his suspicions.
„So I'm right. Damn... did I do something?“
„Sorry, Boss.“
Sam tried to smile but only managed a crooked grin.
„It's not my job to spill other people's secrets. You should talk with her. Just one thing...“
A strange glance appeared in her eyes.
„You really should have told us that you and Nora are a thing.“
„What?“
Now Arlo was just confused. After all, he still hadn't given the brunette an answer. Sam jabbed her finger into his ribs.
„Remi and I need to know that. You know how strict the main command is in such matters. We're supposed to remain neutral in this perpetual conflict between the research center and the church of light. This is especially true for you as the captain.“
Her voice became quieter.
„I don't feel like having the Alliance snooping around here just because you have the hots for the church sister.“
Her accusations made him speechless. With a deep frown he grabbed her shoulder to look her deep into the eyes.
„Sam... I really don't know what you're talking about. Me and Nora... we aren't dating. What...“
„So you don't meet her in secret? Lotta told me you had a date with the church sister and that's when Nora confessed to you.“
„Ah... well... that's... true.“
Uncomfortably he stroked his unruly hair back. He had always tried his best to keep the meetings secret, exactly for this reason.
„You really should be more careful, Arlo. You know how quickly rumors spread in such a small city. We really don't need a scandal... Just contact the headquarters to let them know of your intention to date someone connected to the church of light. Then everything should turn out fine.“
„Ah...“
Arlo was still speechless. There went his plan to first talk things through with Nora... Sam sighed and turned back to the reiling.
„You know... that really surprised me. Neither me nor Remi had any idea that you're planing to start an affair with the church sister behind our back. You really hurt us. After all, this will affect us as well.“
„ … I'm sorry. Okay? I never meant for this to become public. Nora and I... we're just friends. Yeah, we meet at the old well on wednesday and friday nights. I tell her adventure stories and she listens... that's all. Last time we met, she confessed... that part is true. I... I still have not given her an answer because I'm unsure. There... might be someone else...“
„ … Lotta?“
„Wha... how did you know...?“
„You Idiot!“
Instantly, Sam's bad mood turned to anger. She slapped his arm, hard.
„I knew it! You like Lotta, right? Then why did you tell her about your secret meetings with Nora and call it dating?!“
„Ow! Stop that.“
He grabbed her hand but couldn't bring himself to berate her. After all, everything finally started to make sense.
„I told her because I am an Idiot. Lotta is incredible... beautiful, strong, smart, always willing to help... we get along pretty well. I didn't want to ruin that so I tried to test the water.“
„ … by telling her of her rival to see her reaction? Damn, Arlo. You are an Idiot... what were you thinking? That she would get jealous? Confess her undying love to you?“
„ … maybe?“
„Peach, damn! Of course she wouldn't do something stupid like that when she knows that Nora of all people is her rival! They are so different, you can't possibly like the both of them!“
Sam cursed but tried her best to calm herself once she noticed his face. Taking a deep breath she turned back to him.
„That was stupid. All you've acchieved is to make her realize that she stands no chance. Lotta has a good heart... she would never get between a budding romance. That why she told you to consider dating Nora. She wants you to be happy... with the girl you obviously like enough to date her.“
„ … that's why she is avoiding me, mh? Damn...“
Arlo cursed, too. Lotta's strange behaviour made perfect sense... he had ruined their friendship.
„What should I do?“
„Depends... do you plan to give Nora a chance? Or will you turn her down to start a relationship with Lotta? Either way, you will hurt one of them. You should also be absolutely sure. There is nothing more disgusting than a guy cheating on his girlfriend because he thinks it's okay to date two girls at the same time...“
The redhead frowned. He wanted to ask her if she spoke from experience. Yet, before he could ask her she turned already around.
„Anyway, you should make up your mind and quickly. Before the rumors reach the Alliance... or Lotta finds someone else. As you said, she is incredible. Other guys will notice that, too. She should still be at the Roundtable. She accepted an invitation from Remi.“
„ … Remi? What?“
She laughed when she noticed his expression. Shrugging she turned towards the rear of the bridge arches.
„Oh, don't be so surprised. I just told you that she captures other men's attention, right? Remi just happens to be one of them. Good luck.“
With that she disappeared leaving him once again speechless.

Chapter Text

Interlude I (Lotta)

Charlotta was eleven when her mother died.
Her father couldn't handle his own grief, couldn't take care of his upset daughter who suddenly demanded his full attention. So he did the only thing he could do in his situation. He left to continue his adventures leaving Lotta in the hands of his wife's sister.

Life in Barnarock was hard and exhausting but also wonderful. While Lotta was busy studying for school, Aunt Kendra worked to earn a living for both of them. Still, she made sure they shared at least one meal together to catch up on their day and spend some time together. After all, they didn't see each other very often... Aunt Kendra tried her best to replace her niece's mother and father, spending all her money on Lotta. That's why it didn't take long for Lotta to start looking for a job to help with her share of the upkeep. She took on any job to make life for her beloved aunt easier.

She never heard from her father again.

She was all the more surprised when she found a letter from him in the mailbox one winter morning. That's when all the feelings came up, the helplessness at her inability to prevent his departure, the suppressed anger she felt every time she checked the mailbox on her birthday only to find it empty...
The bad feeling of not being good enough.
Actually, she had not wanted to read the letter, but Aunt Kendra was faster. They were surprised to learn about an old workshop that he owned and that he wanted to bequeath to her. They talked about this possibility for a long time until Lotta finally made a decision. She would take over the workshop and prove to her father and herself that she was capable of something.
And so she came to Portia.

Life there was different from what she was used to in her home country. The city was much smaller, but more open and modest. Right from the start Lotta felt welcome, like part of the family. Citizens were open and honest, and since Portia was part of the Alliance of Free Cities, there was even a research center opposed to the Church of Light. Nobody treated the researchers differently, not even the mayor, they were allowed to openly research all relics and data that anyone was allowed to bring them.
Lotta felt like in paradise.
The workshop was, as was to be expected, a complete ruin. The first morning in her own house, she had a headache like she hadn't had in a long time. Once again she cursed her failure of father, who could not do her any good and only caused her grief. However, even now she did not lose her hope and optimism, she gathered wood and sealed all the holes. It was Presley who gave her the next task. The Commissioner of the local Commerce Guild seemed to be an old friend of her father, but was so open and supportive that she took to him and she found it easy to carry out his duties on day one. With a red face, she accepted the license for her own workshop, feeling better than she had in a long time. Yes, everything should be so easy...
... but then he entered her life and turned everything upside down.

Arlo, leader of the Civil Corps.

His demeanor alone made her livid, as if he were the owner of the city, he kicked down the Guild's door and made his request for a new bridge. Arrogant and smug, that was her first impression of him... behaving just like the Church enforcers had done in Barnarock. She avoided contact with him as well as with the church. It took two well-known idiots to change her mind about him. Huss and Tuss demanded from her the debts that her father must have owed them. She was furious, it suited him to walk away and leave her with the shards of his existence. But it quickly became clear that it was nothing more than a cheap scam by the brothers to get quick money. It was Sam who told her this when she approached her about this problem. The young woman promised quick help. So when she faced the scoundrels at the weekend, Lotta expected to meet the blonde. She was all the more astonished when it was actually the leader himself who appeared in front of her workshop and personally took care of the problem. Although he couldn't arrest the brothers, she had to take care of them herself, as always, but when he sheepishly admitted this to her and also promised her to keep searching for them, she couldn't be angry with him anymore.
He admitted his mistake.
She realized that he was far from what she had thought at the beginning.
From then on, they met regularly, went out to eat, defeated the monsters in the Sewage Plant or trained their stamina. It was during one of their now usual jogs in the morning that he revealed his biggest secret to her, one so well kept that he had never told anyone about it. Nobody... except her.

He had failed the Flying Pigs entrance exam... multiple times.

While she didn't understand why this was such a big secret, there was nothing wrong with failing. Still, it filled her with pride and joy that he seemed to trust her more than the people he had known his whole life. It made her feel special.

That day she fell a little bit in love. Just a tiny bit...

Thanks to her father, she had once made a promise to herself: No adventurers. They were not trustworthy, only cared about their freedom and shied away from any form of responsibility or so she thought. To spare herself and her future children the pain of separation, she had decided to find a man who was down to earth and would not abandon his family for selfish reasons.
But Arlo seemed different. He loved his job, was there for every citizen, helped with every problem, no matter how small. In fact, a small part of her father seemed to exist in her as well, because she loved to go on adventures with him. Whether it was solving strange occurrences or fighting the monsters in the Sewage Plant, Lotta's heart was beating wildly with excitement. The adrenaline, the joy when she defeated a monster and got a little bit stronger again... maybe it was just the closeness to him. They were a great team, shared many preferences, got along great. She was pretty sure she wasn't the only one thinking that.
The young man's glances did not go unnoticed, and the fact that he was looking for her and doing everything he could to speak to her at least once a day was extremely noticeable. Yes, Lotta was pretty sure he felt the same way as she did, so it wasn't long before she jumped the gun and got a traditional heart knot from Alice. It was difficult for her to choose the right time for her confession. After all, she didn't want anyone to witness her disgrace if she was wrong. Only one person knew about her feelings.
She was all the more surprised when fate was apparently kind to her and brought him directly to her workshop with a personal matter one morning. He seemed nervous, kept stroking his red hair. Full of anticipation, she retrieved the Heart Knot from the chest she kept it in and tucked it safely in her bag. Together they made their way into the city and took a seat on one of the secluded benches. There Lotta leaned forward and looked at him expectantly. A suspicious blush appeared on his face, so he hastily turned away and preferred to watch the goings-on of the citizens. She smiled.
How cute... the otherwise confident leader was actually shy.
She reached into her pocket... only to freeze in shock. His confession completely baffled her.

Nora...

He was seeing the sister of the church, and apparently had been for a long time. Now, on their last date (dates...they went on dates!), she had confessed her feelings to him and he wasn't sure how to react.
Suddenly she dropped the heart knot back into her pocket and slid a bit to the side. As if through a veil, she listened to his confession... he liked having her as a listener, mh. And he found her attractive, sure.
He wanted to hear Lotta's opinion. Because they were friends... nothing more.
What should she do in this situation, how should she react? Giving him the Heart Knot was out of question now. That would make her seem totally ridiculous. Don't answer him? That would only make him suspicious.
So she did the only thing left to do. She told him to give the brunette a chance. After all, she was nice and if they both had feelings for each other... He agreed with her but she didn't catch his next words, her shock was too deep.
She fled under a shaky excuse.
Yes, she wasn't proud of that. But she could already feel the tears in her eyes. She had been so sure... they had understood each other so well...

Only when the door of her house closed behind her and she was safe from the prying eyes of the townsfolk did she let her emotions run wild. She slowly sank to the ground, clasped her hands on her knees and cried.

How could she have been so wrong? Why had she never noticed anything? She hadn't had the faintest idea that the leader was meeting regularly with the sister of the church. She'd never seen the two together, hadn't even seen them say hello to each other as they passed on the street... well, to find out that they even went on regular dates was a huge shock.

If only she had stayed true to her resolution...

It took a few hours before she found the strength to leave her house again. Without further ado she grabbed her iron sword and was about to make her way to the Sewage Plant when she heard the snort of a horse. Sam smiled at her from above Teddy.
"...hey. I wanted to ask how it went.”
Lotta made a face. Right, Sam knew about her plan. From the start, the two women had gotten along very well and seemed to be on the same wavelength. They were both independent, loved adventure and enjoyed their freedom. That's why Lotta had confided in her. Sam had supported her in her endeavor, had encouraged her and told her that Arlo would definitely accept the Heart Knot. Lotta had trusted her, as the other blonde knew the leader better than anyone else. She was all the more disappointed by her friend's behavior.
Morosely she shouldered her sword and opened one of the chests to put the token of love back.
"Nothing happened. Really, Sam... you could have told me he was into the church mouse. I could have saved my money.”
" … say what?"
Sam frowned in bewilderment. She swung down from her horse's back and came to her. Lotta's eyes shot lightning.
“He came to see me this morning to discuss something personal. Of course, idiot me thought he wanted to make a confession. I even took the Heart Knot with me..."
She laughed briefly.
"As it turns out, he really wanted to make a confession to me. Namely that he has been seeing Nora for a long time and she has now confessed her feelings to him.”
Her eyes darkened, her voice softened. Unconsciously she clenched her free fist.
"...he wanted my opinion on it."
Sam made a face.
"Oh... ouch. I'm sorry...I didn't know about that."
When she met Lotta's incredulous look, she raised her hands defensively.
"No, for real. I had no idea he had an almost girlfriend. Especially Nora... that can really cause him problems. As a civilian force, we're supposed to remain neutral... I don't want to know what HQ would say about a relationship between a leader and a sister of the church... oh. Sorry."
Embarrassed, the older woman stroked her pink hat. Finally she put a hand on her friend's shoulder.
"... what did you tell him?"
"... what do you think? That he should consider a relationship with her... after all, they both have feelings for each other. There's nothing standing in the way of the next step...."
"Oh Lotta... why did you do that? You could have told him that you have feelings for him too. I'm pretty sure he thinks the same way. He never speaks of Nora but he always raves about you. How strong you already are and how talented and hardworking..."
"Don't be ridiculous, Sam... if he's into the sister, then he sure as hell isn't into me. Me and her are as different as day and night, we couldn't be more different. We have absolutely nothing in common..."
Lotta sighed heavily and finally looked up at the sky.
"Oh, it's okay. Isn't the first time I've been wrong about a man...I should have listened to myself. No adventurers... they only disappoint you."
When she noticed the worried look of her friend she had to chuckle. She nudged her amicably.
"Hey, don't worry. It's really okay... I do what I always do when love isn't going my way. I avoid him until I fall out of love, and in the meantime I focus on my work. Dawa needs help with the tree farm and Remi asked me for three shoulder bags. They're probably for you three, aren't they?"
Sam nodded slowly, she seemed to be lost in thought. Lotta tied her loose hair into a bun, then climbed over her fence and headed towards town.
"I'll get over it, Sammy. There are other guys around after all.”
She winked cheekily at the other blonde, who could only look at her. Thoughtfully, Sam frowned, clenching her fists in determination.
She was pretty sure there was something wrong with the story. She'd be damned if she couldn't solve this riddle...

Chapter Text

Interlude II (Lotta)

Several days came and went. Lotta did her very best to avoid the leader. She threw herself into her work, took any commission and loaded herself with assignments. She shot down his attempts to spend time with each other, avoided the places she knew Arlo visited frequently, took more to fishing, found a spot hidden in the Collapsed Wasteland where the most profitable fish lived. To get there she had to leave the main road, had to fight her way past a group of Pinecocks and Slurpees before jumping down a high cliff but the effort was totally worth it. She earned herself more money than ever before. Sadly there was also a downside.
It was one rainy Friday night that she came upon the two supposed love birds at their hidden spot. His voice was the first thing she noticed. Charming and proud it drifted through the high fence right into her ears. Lotta pulled a face. She considered leaving but just couldn’t help herself. She cautiously stepped closer to the fence and lurked through a gap in the slats.
Even though it was dark she could see their outlines perfectly. Nora sat on the edge of the well, her attention focused on the young man in front of her. Arlo seemed to be in the middle of a story, telling his past adventure with his body in full motion. He seemed to be reliving his adventure, his voice full of enthusiasm, his body tense. At one particularly exciting part, he flexed his muscles to demonstrate a punch and yeah... that wasn't hot.
Not one tiny little bit.
Lotta felt her blood rush to her head, she turned away hastily and leaned against the fence. She could clearly picture Nora’s face, her brown eyes shining with admiration for the strong man in front of her. Slowly Lotta sank to the ground, her head turned up to look into the sky. She wasn’t jealous, of course not. It just hurt, to know that the one guy she found interesting in this unknown town already had someone he clearly fancied, who was important enough for him to go out of his way to meet at a secluded place late at night, when they could be sure that no one would disturb them. She considered her options but since she didn’t want to risk alerting the almost- couple to her presence she quickly left.
There was no better way to clear her head than to battle some monsters and keeping their remains as trophies.
The sooner she fell out of love the better.
She just had to be patient.

A few days later Lotta was surprised to see Nora in front of her workshop. The young sister had never made any effort to get to know her which Lotta was not sorry about. Even though the local church was not as pushy as the one in her homeland she still was wary. Nora seemed to be just as nervous, it took a few moments until she finally spoke up:
"Hi Lotta. Would you like to check up on the local llama herd with me? Just to… make sure they are alright.“
Lotta was confused. Why of all people did Nora ask her? They were still near strangers at this point, so why did she go out of her way to invite her? To check up on the llama herd, too. Was this part of Nora’s job? No, of course not.
Lotta’s mood darkened. Nora was definitely up to something. She raised her eyebrow suspicially, her eyes hard on the sister. Nora seemed to read her mind, she quickly added:
"I could really use the company of a friend. Someone to talk to.“
Yeah, not suspicious at all. Lotta turned from where she was building the second seat for her third Dee-Dee vehicle to turn her full attention to the other woman. It was pretty obvious that Nora had another goal in mind. She was nervous, twitching under Lotta’s hard gaze. The young builder felt a trace of sympathy, whatever it was that was really on Nora’s mind seemed to be important.
It had also caught her full attention.
So she nodded in agreement. Strapping on her iron sword (she sure would use some anger outlet after the upcoming conversation) and shouldering her bag she joined Nora.

With a satisfying clash the last monster fell. Lotta breathed hard, her sword shaking in her tight grip. She had been right, the conversation had left her full of anger and confusion.
What the hell?
Arlo had told her that it had been Nora who had confessed, but now Lotta knew it had been the other way.
Arlo had shared his feelings with the sister of the church during one of their intimate dates wich had left Nora confused. Lotta had taken some time thinking this situation through, had tried to understand what the hell was going on, before finally telling Nora the same thing she had told Arlo before. No matter who had confessed first, they both were clearly into each other so there really was no point for her to try to sabotage their budding romance.
Lotta was angry. Angry with Arlo, angry with Nora, for pulling her into their strange love affair. She was angry with the fate which loved to screw with her any chance it got.
She was angry with herself the most. She had been stupid enough to fall for someone who clearly fancied other traits than she had expected. He seemed to appreciate the calm nature of Nora, wanted someone to protect, someone who admired him, who practically kissed the ground he walked on.
Lotta was no such woman, she loved her independence, her ability to take care of herself. She knew she was strong-willed, full of passion, which seemed to scare most men who feared her for all those traits.
Her scream of frustration went unheard in the otherwise unoccupied Sewage Plant. Why the hell was there never a nice guy around who liked a strong woman? They always chose the weaker girls, needed them to feel stronger and important.
She just would have never thought Arlo was like that, too.
Sighing she shouldered her bag once again.
It suddenly was much easier to fall out of love with the first guy to catch her interest. After all, there were other men. She just had to be patient.

Sadly her attempts to distance herself from Arlo didn’t go unnoticed. It took another week of her shooting down any attempt of a play date he tried to make with her until he finally broke. She was enjoying lunch with Remington one day when the leader charged in. He stopped in front of their table, his steelblue eyes widening when they fell upon them. Lotta stopped midsentence, looking up at him in confusion. He smiled crookedly.
"Hey.“
" … hey?“
The young builder threw a quick glance at Remington who seemed just as perplex. It was obvious that the green haired man had not expected to see him. Arlo cleared his throat. He seemed to be pretty nervous which put Lotta immediatly on the edge.
"Has something happened?“
"What? Ah… no. I’m sorry to interrupt your… play date.“
Another quick glance at his collegue. Remington didn’t seem bothered by this. Once he realized that he himself was not the target of his superior’s arrival he turned his attention back to his plate full of Spaghetti. Lotta looked at the young man in front of her. Something was different, he seemed tense and uncertain. That didn't suit him at all, he was always self-confident. He cleared his throat again, then gestured behind him toward the door.
"Can I speak to you for a moment?"
When she made no move to get up or even answer him, he hastily continued:
"It won’t take long. I just have one question for you.”
She frowned in bewilderment. His behavior made her more and more suspicious.
"Can't that wait? We're in the middle of lunch."
" … fine. Then right here. slide.”
Without further ado, he sat down across from her, simply pushing Remington aside who shot him a venomous look, but didn't comment further on the unusual behavior, just saved his plate and kept eating. Lotta rolled her eyes and unconsciously slumped further into her chair. Whatever it was, it seemed serious. She sighed and crossed her arms. Actually, she didn't really want to talk to the young man whom she had intended to avoid. But now she seemed to have no other choice...
"Okay… if the great leader says it can't wait, it must be serious. What have I done? Am I in trouble?”
“ … no. Sorry, it’s nothing serious.”
The blonde raised an eyebrow skeptically. It was obviously important enough to bother her. So she sighed. The quicker they could discuss the problem, the quicker she could return to her peaceful meal.
Peaceful and unconfusing…
"...okay. Then out with it… I still have a lot to do today.”
Immediately she felt bad, because he winced slightly at the harshness of her words. Yet it was necessary to keep the distance. It was the only way to control her feelings, she was sure of that. As a bonus it would make him avoid her too. Even now there was a glimmer of confusion in his eyes, he obviously noticed her change of attitude, but continued anyway:
"Sam just told me something interesting. In fact, she told me why you changed the name of your workshop.”
So it wasn’t the obvious reason for a much needed conversation between them but an annoying topic nontheless. She sighed.
“Yeah… those guys were really annoying. Yet I don’t get why this warrants an important conversation that can’t even wait until I have time for it. I had a problem and I found a way to solve it, just like with those idiot brothers. So what?”
“Do they still bother you?”
She smiled warmly at Remington and shook her head. Arlo seemed taken aback, his glance unsure.
“You know about it, too?”
When his collegue only shrugged in silent response the captain pulled a face.
“Why am I the only one who doesn’t know? Why did no one tell me?”
His look fell upon her, hurt clearly visible in his steelblue eyes.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Lotta felt herself shrink under his intense gaze. The captain was a reserved man who had trained himself to never show his true feelings. He was used to walking around with a serious expression on his face, never cracking a real smile.
His eyes were the sole exception.
Lotta usually had no trouble reading his true feelings in them. She realized that her behaviour had taken it's toll on him, of course he didn't know why she suddenly distanced herself from him. For this she felt bad. So she shrugged and smiled at him.
“I didn't think it was a serious matter. I thought it's enough to let one of you know. Sam... she was the first I met. So I told her... and she told Remi.”
When the greenhaired man nodded in agreement Arlo sighed and nodded.
“Fine. But you know... you can tell me everything. We're friends, right?”
That almost sounded like he needed validation. No wonder, she had avoided him for the last couple of days. She forced a smile, tried to get her beating heart back under control.
“Yeah... of course.”
“ ... great. Fantastic.”
His smile was more real, even reaching his eyes. Though his voice still held a trace of an emotion Lotta couldn't quite grasp. Maybe he was still suspicious, she was acting pretty strange after all. He was about to ask her for another play date, she was sure of that, so she pulled out her bag to pay for the meal before quickly standing up.
“Well, now that that's settled I'll go. There's still one last Dee Dee vehicle I have to finish. Thanks for everything, Remi. I had a great time. See you, guys!”
Before one of the Civil Corps' members could answer her she quickly left the restaurant. Outside she exhaled in relief, that had been close.
His honest smile would be her death, she was sure of that. Yet all she could think about were Nora's words.
He had confessed his feelings to her.
He liked calm and quiet women.
He liked weak women he could protect.
Yeah, these thoughts were a quick way to get her emotions back in check. Lotta sighed sadly and started her short trek back home.

They were just incompatible.

Chapter Text

Conversations (Nora)

Nora was on cloud nine. Her crush had accepted her feelings… not outright, sure, but she knew it was only a matter of time. Arlo was still unsure, he had a great dream after all. Still, he wouldn’t have promised her to consider her feelings if he didn’t have feelings for her, too. She had never considered this possibility, to finally find herself back in a relationship, but the thought excited her.
This morning found her attending her most favorite activity, tending to her garden. It was located right behind the church, in a place no one could reach but herself and Lee. She loved spending her time here where it was calm and quiet, no disturbance in sight.
Whistling her most favorite song she watered the Rainbow Flowers when she heard footsteps approaching. The minister came to stand beside her, his arms folded behind his back. She smiled.

“Good morning, minister.”
“Bless you, my child. What a beautiful day it is…”

Nora wiped her forehead before following his gaze into the sky. The sun was nowhere near its zenith yet it was quite clear that the day would be without a cloud. She smiled; it was the perfect weather for her date with Arlo that night. She hated it when they were out at their well and the rain poured down on them. Though, of course, it spoke a lot about his feelings for her for him to weather the cold…
Inwardly she shook her head free of these thoughts, concentrating fully on her mentor.

“May I help you, minister? I just need a few more minutes than…”
“No, it’s quite alright. Take your time.”

Nora nodded and continued with her duty. She could feel Lee’s eyes on her, unmoving yet not threatening, just like she was used to. With him there time went quickly and before she knew it they were sitting in his office. The room was small, nothing fancy, and located right behind the altar. The minister folded his hands on the table, a soft smile on his lips.

“Well, Nora… I want to be completely honest with you. A rumor has reached me about you currently seeing someone. Someone very important to this city and it’s people. Is this true?”
Nora’s own smile fell. How could this be? How could anyone know about her secret? The one she only shared with her near-boyfriend? They had always been discreet and careful, only meeting when no one was around to watch them which only served to make their dates more intimate. No one knew of their secret place, it was well hidden and forgotten for everyone except for the two of them.
Her eyes wide and her voice filled with careful awareness she leaned forward in her seat.

“What do you mean, minister? I’m not seeing someone, my mission is way more important than personal feelings. I want to dedicate my life and my time to helping people and…”
Lee stopped her nervous breakdown with one hand.

“Stop this nonesense, my child. How you spent your free time is of no one’s concern. You can have a private life and still be of use for Portia. It’s not my concern, on the contrary.”
His smile widened.

“I asked for this meeting because I wish to know about the direction you wish to take this liason.”
The brunette was more and more confused. She had expected her superior to be more miffed with the situation. She was in service of the church of Light after all. Their work was important, needed to bring back hope to people who lost theirs after so many years spent in darkness. The church deserved all their attention and full dedication.
Now here she was, loosing herself in thoughts about a guy who was way more rouge than the church would allow and the possible romance she could have with him. She hung her head shamefully, this was not supposed to happen.
No one should know about them.
No one… except for Lotta. Maybe the builder had been the one to bring the rumor up in an obviously vain attempt to stop the building relationship.
Maybe she was also in love with the corps leader, after all…
It had to be, Nora had talked with no one else about her feelings. She balled her hand in a fist, swallowed her anger and looked finally up again.

“Please, minister… may I ask… why do you think I am seeing someone? Who told you….?”
“Eyes see, People talk, my dear child. Rumor has it you are meeting that person at night at the
hidden well. It’s of no use to deny it as I myself have been a witness to the sight. Your dating place is not as well hidden as you seem to think. People can see you from the Central Plaza.”

Brown eyes widened, she hadn’t thought about that. She quickly relaxed again. So it had not been Lotta after all, the minister had simply been his own witness. Drawing a deep breath she tried her best to compose herself.
The whole city knew of their meetings yet no one had voiced a complaint against them.
She could feel her beating heart calm down, realizing that there were no obstacles to overcome filled her with joy and happiness. Dating a member of the neutral Civil corps could have become difficult with wild rumors running around. Feeling the ministers inquiring eyes on her she smiled brightly.

“I will be honest with you, minister. Yes, I am seeing Arlo from the Civil Corps. We have a set date at Wednesday and Friday night and we never failed to meet each other. Yet we’re not dating as some would call it. We are just friends.”
“ … a circumstance you would like to change if I’m informed correctly.”
Before she could panic again he held up his hand and continued:
“Please, don’t deny it. Everyone can see you have feelings for this man. Your eyes linger on him whenever you pass him on the plaza and you tend to loose yourself in phantasies afterwards. Have no fear, my dear child.”
His gaze softened.
“It’s quite alright. A liason with the leader of the Civil Corps might be questionable at the beginning for many unfortunate souls but once you both proof that your feelings are true that will change. In fact, having Mister Arlo on our side could help the church’s neverending fight against the Research center and the Relics of the evil time. With the mayor being one of our members for years now we could finally reach the influence our church has in other cities like Barnarock.”
Nora frowned. This was not what she tried to achieve. It was true, the church of light had little influence in their city with the Civil Corps gifting most disks to the Research center and Mayor Gale always asking both sides for their opinion. She wondered if the minister was wordlessly asking her to influence her soon to be boyfriend into service of the Church.

“Minister… I’m sure you’re well aware that the Civil Corp organisation works independently from us. Arlo could never become a member unless he quits his job. I could never ask him to…”
… nor did she have enough courage. She knew how much he enjoyed being in a position of meaning, being able to use his strength to help those in aid. She couldn’t imagine him giving up his dreams just to be with her. Minister Lee shook his head.

“That is not what I meant to imply, Nora. Should he consider becoming a full time member of the church he would not be of much help since he couldn’t use his influence anymore. All I’m asking of you is that you tell him of your fears and expectations. I’m sure he will at least consider your feelings in any decision he makes from now on. Just have a little faith in yourself and in Peach.”
Nora was not convinced but she nevertheless nodded in understanding. She was glad that her superior had no problem with her relationship and just hoped that everyone else would react the same way.
They couldn’t keep their feelings hidden any longer after all knowing that their secret was no secret to anyone in their small town.